By Bill Bell, Publisher | Dorothy Bell, Editor
A good Mexico trip starts long before the first border crossing. It starts with questions: Which route makes sense? What paperwork will I need? Where should we stop, and what would we regret driving past?
Dorothy and I have spent more than 35 years travelling Mexico and sharing what we learn. We are now improving four of our principal websites to make that experience—and the knowledge of our contributors—more useful to our readers.
Practical help for the journey
On the Road in Mexico is the practical starting point for people travelling by car or RV. Border crossings, vehicle permits, Mexican automobile insurance, routes and driving advice remain at the heart of its coverage. Work on clearer organization and updated material is intended to help readers find the answers they need.
Here at Drive Mexico Magazine, we bring together road reports, destination features and stories about the places and people along the way. Our weekly road updates are part of that service, alongside ideas for exploring beyond the highway.
More to discover beyond the road
Mexico Archeology is getting a fresh design and better organization of our photographs and archaeological-site coverage. We are drawing on places we have visited while expanding information about important sites still on our travel list. Mexico’s history deserves time and attention, not just a quick stop for a photograph.
Sol Mexico News now has a cleaner, news-oriented homepage with a changing featured article, recent reporting by Tara A. Spears, and a section devoted to Nayarit and Jaltemba Bay. New stories assigned to those sections can appear automatically on the front page.
The four sites have different jobs, but a common purpose. As I put it:
“These websites have always been about helping people. Dorothy and I have travelled throughout Mexico for more than 35 years, and we want to share what we have learned while also providing a place for knowledgeable contributors and community voices. The new designs should make that information easier to find, easier to read and more useful to everyone.”
Dorothy Bell serves as editor across our network, helping shape and review the information we publish.
A conversation that continues on Facebook
Our websites work alongside three Mexican Facebook communities: On the Road in Mexico, Friends of Riviera Nayarit and Travel Buddies—On the Road in Mexico. They bring together people planning their first visit, experienced road travellers and residents willing to share local knowledge.
The groups are places to ask questions, exchange experiences and flag developments. The websites give longer explanations, photographs and useful resources a more lasting home. A helpful answer should not be lost simply because yesterday’s conversation has slipped down the feed.
“Facebook is very good for immediate questions and conversations, but valuable information can be difficult to locate a week or a month later. Our websites preserve that information and allow us to explain important subjects properly. Together, the websites and Facebook groups provide a much better overall service to our readership.”
These improvements are continuing. We will keep reviewing older material, adding new reports and connecting readers with the appropriate resource across our network. Before making a trip, readers should still check time-sensitive requirements and conditions with the responsible authorities.
Our aim is straightforward: help people prepare well, travel responsibly and enjoy more of Mexico.
Revolution Day is an official holiday in Mexico and is observed annually on the 20th of November. This holiday celebrates the anniversary of the beginning of the Mexican Revolution—a struggle that ran for approximately 10-years and resulted in Army general José de la Cruz Porfirio Diaz Mori being overthrown. It’s also a holiday from work and school on which people enjoy traditional Mexican foods, and watch or participate in one of the many parades held all over the country. Typically it’s a day of community celebration and jubilance with all of the Jaltemba Bay schools participating in a parade down main street La Penita. But with the threat of spreading covid the usual means of celebrating is altered. The official day off work for government offices and the day the banks are closed is November 15, 2021. While families will travel to the beach, expect a quieter celebration this year without the public parade.
